Brake.



PATBNTBD MAY31, 1904. J. W. TAPP.

BRAKE f APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

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Patented May 31, 1904.

UNITEDHSTATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JAMES W. TAPP, OF VVICHITA, KANSAS BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,337, dated May 31, 1904.

Application filed January 28, 1904:. Serial No. 191,050. (No model.) 7 7 T0 all/whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES TAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to novel improvements in brake mechanisms particularly designed for use on railroad-cars,-th.ough adapted for application to any vehicle necessitating the utilization of high brake-power.

The brake mechanism comprised in my invention is especially used in connection with the ordinaryform of brakes, which are now commonly employed-nam ely, those embodying the type consisting of the swinging brakebeams and brake-shoes carried by the said beams for braking the wheels direct.

My invention when used as above greatly increases the efficiency and power of the brakes in a manner which will appear more fully hereinafter.

For a full description of the invention and v the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result'ref'erence is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings. f

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a cartruck, parts broken away, showing the invention applied. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the brake-band, foot-piece, and connecting-rods inoperative position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in both views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the floor or body of a car-truck of any suitable form. The truck 1 is supported by wheels 52, mounted upon an axle 3, the latter supporting the body 1 in the usual manner. Upon the axle 3 is mounted a brakewheel 4:, and cooperating with the brake-wheel 4 is a brake-band 5. The brake-band 5 is preferably of chilled steel and effects a braking action by frictional contact withithe brakewheel 4:, as will be readily comprehended.

The ends of the brake-band 5 are provided with loops 6, which may be either integrally formed or otherwise. The application of the brakes in the preferred construction of my invention is secured by means of a foot-piece 7 which comprises a vertically-movable bar mounted upon the truck, said bar being provided at its upper end with a head 8 for tread purposes and being connected at its lower end with a bell-crank 9. The crank 9 has its upper arm 9 connected with the lower end of the foot-piece 7, and the lower arm thereof is provided with a hook 10, which receives a loop 11, carried by an actuating-rod 12. The actuating-rod 12 is connected at the end opposite to that upon which the loop 11 is disposed to one of the loops 6 of the brake-band, the actuating-rod being provided with a hook 13, which receives the loop 6 aforesaid. The ends of the brakeband, which carry the loop 6, cross each other, one end being connected to the actuating-rod 12, as above described, and the other end is connected to a pivoted brake-lever 14;, which actuates the brake-shoes carried by the brakebeams 15, the brake-beams 15 being mounted upon the truck-body 1 in the same manner as those which are commonly in use at the present time; A connecting-rod 16, having one end secured to the lever 14, is provided at the other end with a hook 17, by which .said connecting-rod is secured to one end of the brake-band 5;

In providing a brake-band having the ends crossing each other, as clearly shown in the drawings, a greater amount of frictional contact and brake-wedging action is attained,

this greatly facilitating the quick stopping of the train or car, as the case maybe. Further, in connecting the frictional brake-band 1 5 with the ordinary system of shoe-brakes, as is contemplated in my invention, I secure a double amount of braking action, the advantages of which are very obvious.

It will be readily noted that aslight amount of pressure upon the vertically-moving footpiece 7 will actuate the crank 9 in such a manner as to immediately apply the brakeband to efiect braking action against the brake wheel 4. Simultaneously with the braking action of the parts 4 and 5 the brakelever 14 is operated so as to apply the brakeshoes carried by the brake-beams 15. The manner of connecting up the brake devices in the system, as above described, admits of a great amount of brake-power with slight exertion upon the part of the operator of the car. The foot piece when actuated only slightly will immediately throw the braking devices into proper position, so as to apply the power.

The parts of the invention are very simply constructed, and it will be apparent that the same may be readily applied to cars or vehicles which are already in use.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In a brake, the combination with a truck,

supporting-axles, wheels mounted upon said axles, a brake-wheel applied to one of the axles, a brake band encircling said brake- Wheel and having its ends crossed and provided With attaching means, brake-beams, brake-shoes carried by said beams, brakelevers actuating said brake-shoes, a verticallymoving foot-piece mounted on the car-bod y, a bell-crank lever carried by the said car-bod y and connected to the foot-piece aforesaid, an actuating-rod connecting the bell-crank lever to one end of the brake-band, and a bar connecting a brake-lever to the other end of the brake-band.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FLORENCE SULLIVAN, J. G. OsBURN. 

